Tim Tebow declines offer to join Orlando's new Alliance of American Football team

Was that ever the case to begin with? Short answer: It wasn’t. But it was wishful thinking on the part of legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach Steven Spurrier, who’s previously hinted at how he’d like for Tebow – the evangelical former Heisman trophy winner at Florida and later flunk-out NFL quarterback – to come play for him with Orlando’s soon-to-be team in the Alliance of American Football, where 73-year-old Spurrier was recently named head coach.

“I actually got in touch with Tim before I took the job,” Spurrier told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum last week. “I sent him a text and I said, ‘By the way, I’m going to be the coach of an Orlando team in this new Alliance of American Football.”

“He basically just said, ‘Hey coach, I’m going to keep swinging the bat and see what happens,’” Spurrier says Tebow texted back, referring to how he’s currently playing minor league baseball. “And I agree, that’s what he should do. If he can get to the big leagues, that’s what he should do.

Spurrier adds: “If for some reason [baseball] doesn’t work out, I told him we have a No. 15 down in Orlando waiting for him. I think Tim Tebow is a winner.”

You can’t really blame Tebow for sticking with this particular set of cleats, though. Minus the occasional flashes of luck meets athletic brilliance, compared to how generally abysmal Tebow's career in the NFL was – at first with the Denver Broncos, followed by short stints with the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles – his minor league baseball career is looking pretty decent so far. Through 63 games this year, Tebow is batting .256 with five home runs. Tebow also has 11 doubles on the season – tied for fifth on the team.

Admittedly, Tebow would have done great for the AAF’s ratings, as the league enters its inaugural season with eight teams from eight cities, including Orlando, Birmingham, San Antonio, Phoenix, San Diego, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and Memphis. Or at least his presence would have complimented the AAF’s vision to standout it from, say, the NFL, such as how it will include no TV timeouts and 60 percent fewer commercials, a 30-second play clock and a mandatory two-point conversion attempt after touchdowns, no kickoffs and, instead of onside kicks, the team behind in points will receive the ball on its own 35-yard line facing fourth and ten.

The AAF debuts on Feb. 9, 2019 on CBS, just a week after Super Bowl 53 also airs on CBS. The league’s championship game will take place the final weekend of April 2019.